barnes



io. 623,l|6. Patented Apr. n, |899.

i `.1. w, BARNES.

I BUTTER PACKAGE.

(A cation med om 27, 1897) (Nq MMMMM lIl l K?? JOHN W. BARNES,

PATENT OFFICE. y

OF MOUNT GILEAD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO XV. A. COOPER AND W. W. RUHL, OF SAMEPLACE. A

BUTTER-PACKAG E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,116, dated April11, 1899.

l nppncaion sied october 27,1897. sannita. 656,552. (Numan.)

To all whom t muy concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN W. BARNES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Gilead, in the county of Morrow and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Butter Package, of which the following isa specilication.

This invention relates to butter-packages, its object being to provide abox having an exterior rectangular form, with a series of interiorcompartments, the walls of which compartments will each incline inwardlyfrom top to bottom.

The invention also contemplates certain improvements in the manner ofsecuring the ends and sides of the boxes to each other and the top andbottom to the sides and ends.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and its novel featuresclearlydefined in the subjoined claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a butter-package madein accordance with my invention, the top being removed to show theinterior arrangement of the package. Fig. 2 isa vertical transversesection through the box, the top being in position. Fig. 3 is a similarview taken at a right angle to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of oneofthe end pieces detached, looking at its inner face. Fig., 5 is an endview of thev end piece. Fig. G is an end View of one of the partitions.

Similar reference-nu merals indicate similar parts in the severalfigures.

l indicates what for the sake of distinction will be called the ends ofthe box. The sides are indicated by 2, the top by 3, and the bottom by4f. Each end and side piece is thicker at its lower than at its upperedge, and the inner face of each piece inclines inwardly from its upperto its lower edge, as clearly shown in the drawings, while its outerface is in practically a true vertical plane or at a right angle to itsedges.

Each end piece is rabbeted entirely around its edges on the inner face,the upper and lower horizontal rabbets 5 being of uniform width anddepth throughout to form seats for the top and bottom of the box,respectively. The rabbets 6 at the ends are somewhat wider and deeper attheir lower than at their upper ends and form seats for the ends of therespective side pieces of the box. The side pieces are not as wide asthe end pieces, and when secured to the ends their upper and lower edgeswill be respectively flush with the shoulders formed in the end piecesby the horizontal rabbets 5, and when the top andV bottom are secured inposition they will be supported by said shoulders and side pieces. Itfollows, therefore, that the box is of greater area interiorly at litstop than at its bottom v and that the interior angles formed by the sideand end walls and the top are less than a right angle, and those formedby the side and end walls and the bottom will be greater than a rightangle, while the exterior angles formed by the top and bottom and theside and end walls will be practically true right angles, and the boxescan thus be packed together without loss of space in storage ortransportation.

Each end piece is provided with a vertical groove in its inner facemidway between the sides, and these grooves receive the tongues 8,formed on the ends of a string-piece 9. This string-piece is thicker atits lower edge than at its upper edge, and its opposite faces bothincline upwardly toward each other. The ends of the string-piece alsoincline inwardly from top to bottom to correspond to the inclination ofthe inner faces of the end walls.

The sides are each provided with a series of vertical grooves 10 on itsinner face, said grooves being equidistant from each other and also fromthe ends of the box. The stringpiece is also provided with a series ofvertical grooves ll on both faces, which are equidistant from each otherand directly opposite to the grooves l0 in the respective sides.

12 indicates partitions,each having a tongue 13 at each end to iit inone of the grooves 10 or 1l, and each partition is thus removablysupported in opposing grooves 10 and ll, as clearly shown in Fig. l. Thepartitions are shaped similar tothe string-pieces and their oppositefaces inclined upwardly and inwardly toward each other, and their endsincline inwardly from top to bottom. A series of compartments are thusformed within the IOO box offequal dimensions, and eachyvall of eachcompartment inclines inwardly from top -to bottom, and it is obviousthat the butter the corners, which will resist the lateral strain on thesides and ends caused by packing the butter into the compartments.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the side andend pieces of the box when viitted together Will haveinterlockingengagement with one another,because the inner faces thereofare inclined from top To bottom, and the parts are united together bynails Which are driven in both directions into the side and end pieces,thus providing exceedingly strong joints at the corners of.

the box. The rabbets in the end pieces and surrounding the inclinedfaces thereof not only form seats for the reception of the top andbottom of the box, but also provide for the proper fitting and nailingof ythe side pieces to the end pieces, and a box vthusmanufactu redpresents an appearance of rectangular form externally. i

The compartments will be adapted to contain a predetermined quantity ofbutter, and the compartments and the entirel box can be of any sizedesired.

It is obvious that the partitions may be omitted, if desired, and thebox thus contain one solid piece of butter; but in such cases the boxeswill preferably be deeper than the one illustrated. Otherwise theconstruction will be similar and the ends and sides and top and bottombe formedand secured together 45 as previously described.

It Will be understood that changes in the form, proportion,.and. theminor details of construction may be resorted to Without departingfrom'the spirit or sacrificing any of 5o the advantages of thisinvention.

IfIaving thus described the invention, what I claim is- A separablecell-box for butter, comprising end Walls l of an upwardly-taperingthick- 55 ness and each provided Withan inner annularrabbet; thevertical end'portions 6 of which 'rabbet flare downwardly, each end Wallbeing furtherv 'providedwith a central vertical groove intersecting theupper `and lower hori 6o Zontal portions of therabbet, top and bot- `tomboards having their ends registering in the horizontal portions 5 of therabbets of the end walls, side Wallsf of an upwardly-tapering thicknesshaving their ends registering 65 'in the'downWardly-iiaring rabbets` 6of the end Walls, and provided in their inner faces Witha plurality ofvertically-disposed grooves,

an upwardly-tapering longitudinal vpartition havingA at its endsstraight tongues iitting in 7c the vertical grooves of the end. Wallsand formedv in its opposite inclined faces-with a plurality of verticalgrooves, and upwardly tapered transverse partitions' havin gstraighttongues at their ends registering respectively 75 in the verticalgrooves of the sidewalls and the longitudinal partition,'the taper ot?the box-Walls and the interior partitions producing cells of anupwardly-flaring' form to facilitate the removal of the butter,substantially 8o as described. laV

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto afxed mysignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN W. BARNES.

` J. A. WILLHELM,

N. N. KEY'sER.

